First Prayer
by MissTeak
Summary: Just like every year in the past, in accordance to tradition, Rangiku and Gin visit the shrine together on New Year's Day. This year, it was just the same, but neither of them counted on the fortune lots they had wished for to come true...


I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. This is purely for my muse to display its…well, musings.

A/N: I know New Year has come and gone, but the Chinese lunar New Year is around the corner, and this scene between Rangiku and Gin is something that came to my mind so naturally. I hope you guys like it, and please do review!

**First Prayer**

* * *

"Gin, hurry up! We're never going to make it to the _omikuji_ if you walk so slowly!" Rangiku huffed, stopping in her tracks to look at her best friend exasperatedly. He was wearing that trademark bizarre grin of his, not that she was not used to it, strolling among the throngs of people who had turned up at the shrine.

It was New Year's Day, and like all the years before, the two of them had come to the shrine for the _hatsumode_, whereby worshippers offer their prayers for a peaceful and good year ahead. Dressed for the occasion, Rangiku was wearing a white kimono with prints of bright yellow chrysanthemums symbolic of the "giku" in her name, while her slender waist was accentuated by a red obi decorated with gold and silver tie strings. Even her hair was pulled into an elegant bun held together by two butterfly pins.

Gin, on the other hand, was wearing a full kimono. Far simpler than the design of the female kimono, the one Gin was wearing was the most formal style of kimono – a plain black silk with five _kamon_. There was just something so sacred about the hatsumode, a day where one visits the shrine for the first time in the New Year with one's loved ones to make wishes.

As always, Rangiku is dreadfully eager to rush to where the _omikuji_ was upon praying. The omikuji was a written oracle that one could buy at the shrine depending on what one's wishes, and one would unroll the slip of paper to see the blessing one received. It could come in the form of a _kichi_, which was good luck for whatever one wished, or a _kyo_, which would generally imply an omen. Gin wondered what Rangiku could be asking the gods for. _Love? Work? Travel?_

"Now, now, Ran-chan…the omikuji ain't gonna run away, ya know?" He deliberately drawled, watching her face scrunch up prettily into an expression of annoyance.

"But all the _kichi_ would be gone by the time you saunter your way there, Gin!" Rangiku descended the steps quickly to wrap her smaller hand around Gin's larger one, dragging him along as they tried to weave their way through the crowd.

He never really liked to be restrained in any way, even in the form of someone's hold, but Rangiku's hold was different. Her hold on him was the only one he wanted to be in, and would never try to escape.

So he got a little disappointed when she released her hold on him upon reaching the stall where the omikuji was sold, though the adorable expression of excitement on her beautiful face made up for it.

Handing two coins over to the stallholder, he told her, "Ran-chan, ya go first."

She contemplated it for a moment, before shaking her head in what he could vaguely identify as…shyness?

"No, you go first."

Flashing a wide grin again, he reached out to the box that read "Work and Business" with his bony fingers, failing to notice the way her eyes clouded over with an unreadable expression. The thin fingers closed around a random piece of the folded omikuji, before he brought it closer to himself.

"Now it's yer turn."

The smile was gone from her face, and Gin watched dumbly as Rangiku's hand darted out to pick up a random piece of fortune from the box that read "romantic relationships".

Then his grin widened in a manner that annoyed her, and she heard the familiar drawl of his Kansai accent by her ear.

"What're ya wishin' for, Ran-chan?"

The hair accessories in her bright orange hair sparkled in the rays of the morning sun, but the sparkle did not quite reach her aqua eyes.

"It is none of your business."

His beloved Ran-chan was angry, but being a typical man, no matter how brilliant he actually was when it came to strategies and tactics, Gin remained clueless. What had he done wrong? He was only teasing her…

They walked over to the shrine altar where they once again bowed sincerely with their respective omikuji lots in their hands, before unfolding the fortune lot eagerly.

A single word came into view on the piece of paper in Gin's hand, before a satisfied smile spread across his face. Eyes closed in a knowing manner, unbeknownst to Rangiku, before his hand wrapped itself tightly around his omikuji. It read 「吉」(kichi), which implies a blessing. That was a good sign…he could even tell Aizen-sama about it the next time they meet.

Rangiku on the other hand, was feeling rather irritated and was doing a horrible job at concealing her feelings. That stupid, stupid Gin! She had expected him to reveal hints of being concerned about their relationship, or the lack thereof, but instead he had chosen to pick a lot from the box that read "Work and Business"! Was work all he was concerned about? He seemed to have become so busy ever since he became the captain of the Third Division.

So angry was she, she failed to recognize the two words that stared back at her from her unfolded omikuji.「大凶」…she felt her blood run cold in an instant. The wintry air was chilly, but it was nothing compared to the cold that had enveloped her entire being. 'Daikyou' referred to 'Great Curse', and Rangiku did not know what to make of it. After all, she had sincerely prayed for the relationship she had with him…

Was this an omen? She thought silently, unable to keep the disappointment and worry out of her pretty features. Her eyes darted up to sneak a glance at Gin's face – he was still smiling as always, but the smile was one that seemed…eerily satisfied.

This was going to be a bad year.

Crumpling the piece of paper up in her hand, she walked over to the pine tree where she could tie the omikuji to and allow the bad luck to fly away with the wind. That was the customary thing to do when one received an unlucky slot.

"What did ya get, Ran-chan? Can I see?"

"No."

He knew she wished for love, so all the more she was not going to show it to him.

"Please?" He smiled, bringing his face close to hers.

Rangiku ignored him, focusing on the task of tying the omikuji to the low-lying pine needles of the pine tree. But the slender pine needles gave way under the pressure from her fingers, and the omikuji fell to the ground.

Bony fingers closed around the piece of paper before Rangiku could even bend down, and she cursed her luck, not that it wasn't already cursed.

Unraveling the piece of paper, Gin's eyebrows furrowed into the slightest of frowns at seeing the two words. So that was why she was so upset and disappointed. And the sulky expression on her face was exactly what he needed to tell him what was going on.

So that was what she was wishing for.

"Can I have it back?" She muttered, still obviously upset that he had seen the terrible fortune she got. Rangiku extended her hand for Gin to put the piece of omikuji on, but she hadn't expected him to grab her hand and pull her close to him.

Then there was the lightest of whispers in her ear.

"The time's just not right, Ran-chan."

A tingling sensation ran down her spine as the last tendril of his warm breath tickled the shell of her ear. Did he really mean what she thought he did?

Then as quickly as he had pulled her close, Gin released her and deftly tied the "Great Curse" to the pine needles.

"Aaa, since Ran-chan's tying her omikuji up, then I might as well do so too."

He prepared to tie his omikuji beside hers, but she reached out and took it from him.

"This is a good one, Gin." She looked up from the single 'kichi' character. "You don't have to tie it up because of me."

"But, Ran-chan-" He continued smiling.

She smiled back, touched by his little act of kindness, and put the fortune lot back in his hands. "Keep it for luck."

And so he complied, because she said so.

"Let's go eat mochi, shall we? It's on me."

"Since when is it not your treat?" Rangiku returned his smile, as they left the pine tree and the unhappiness behind.

* * *

A year later, Rangiku revisited the same shrine, and found herself standing at the omikuji stall again.

Yet this time round, she was all alone.

She should have known; he was always power hungry.

He could be happy without power, or so she believed, but he would be happier if he had it.

She should not have told him to keep his omikuji with the blessing, if she had known he had wished for the success of Aizen's plans. She should have selfishly tied his omikuji beside hers and let the luck die there, instead of blessing their ambitious plans.

In this way, it was partly her fault.

And today, she was no longer picking a lot from the "Romantic Relationship" box. Rather, her slender hand went over to the box that read 「待人」, which refers to "the person being waited for".

She should not wait, really, when everyone around her was telling her so. But she was still waiting.

She prayed sincerely with the lot in her hands, before unfolding it.

「小吉」…that was a small blessing.

Smiling wistfully to herself, Rangiku stuffed the lot into the gap of her _obi_ belt. There was no way she was going to tie this one to the pine tree.

After all, if it could work for Gin, it could work for her too.

* * *

_The End._

A/N: Please let me know what you think about this! It is a happy ending, I guess, in a more subtle way. Much love to all of you dear readers! And Happy Chinese New Year to all those who celebrate it!


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